comprehensive musicianship through performance
CMP Defines Sustainability Patty Schlafer, CMP Committee Member
On the topic of sustainability, my thoughts went im- mediately to the Wisconsin CMP Project now in its 37th
year of exis-
tence. Can you name any educational ini- tiative that started in
the 1970s and is still used by music educa- tors today? The Comprehensive Musician- ship Through Performance (CMP) model for planning music selection, analysis, student outcomes, teaching strategies and classroom assessment has remained intact and, more importantly, in use for 37 years. I feel safe in saying that CMP defines sustainability.
For 33 of those 37 years, I have weathered the work of Madeline Hunter and mastery learning, the multiple intelligences of Howard Gardner, the School Evaluation Consortium (SEC), the MENC National Standards, the Wisconsin State Standards, Cooperative Learning, Outcome Based Education, Authentic Assessment, Dif- ferentiated Instruction, Charter Schools, Understanding by Design, Portfolio Based Assessment, Professional Learning Communities, and now the world of Core Standards and Smarter Balanced Assess- ment. This list could be longer if I had a better memory! I feel a bit like a tattered
and weathered old flag flying faithfully in the ever-changing winds of educational acronyms.
On the upside, for those of us surviving the revolving door of initiatives, we are given valuable opportunities to reflect on our practice and strive for mastery. We are defined by the educational reforms we have filtered and implemented into our music classrooms. Adapting to change keeps us alert and reminds us we are alive in a profession that looks quite different than it did 37 years ago. However, the fact remains that many teachers in Wisconsin are accommodating every new require- ment of licensure, content benchmarks and expectations for accountability, while continuing to use the CMP model to guide their music instruction. How is it that CMP sustains so many educators?
The answer could lie in the history of CMP. The impetus for the model came in 1977 from the grassroots work of successful teachers in Wisconsin who were dedicated to defining the practice of what good mu- sic teachers do in their classrooms. These were teachers looking in, not bureaucrats looking down. What resulted was the five-pointed star that included selection, analysis, objectives (outcomes), strategies and assessment. The balance of the model was brilliant from the start and remains to this day. (There is an excellent article on
the history of CMP by Laura K. Sindberg, Mike George and Will Schmid in the “CMP Backgound” section of “About Us” at
www.wmeamusic.org/CMP.)
The reason the CMP model stands the test of time is that it is not a curriculum or prescriptive model for how to manage a classroom. CMP, simply put, is a very balanced template for planning music in- struction. Thinking about music this way encourages deeper thinking and results in richer experiences for students. Once this way of planning becomes an ingrained way of thinking, you have a vocabulary that can be used in most any educational setting.
Because CMP is a process for planning, the work you do for the benefit of your stu- dents can be custom fit to any of the current happenings in your school – SLO, PBIS, GRRR, or COMMON CORE to name a few. Choosing good literature, analyzing the music you teach, planning what the stu- dents will know, what they will be able to do and how they could feel about the music will never be a bad idea regardless of any content standard or benchmark you must meet. Having a wealth of strategies and a scheduled assessment activity will only support the goals your school or district requires of you.
Because it has stood the test of time so magnificently, CMP is vital today and an excellent compass for navigating current waters. With a nod to J.R.R. Tolkein and a thank you to Margaret Jenks who coined the latest CMP bumper sticker, let it be said, “CMP: One acronym to rule them all.” Consider attending the 2014 sum- mer workshop on the campus of UW-Eau Claire from June 23-27. Don’t miss an opportunity to gather with fellow educa- tors to plan thoughtfully and intentionally. This might just help sustain you, too!
Patty Schlafer teaches music at Mount Horeb Middle School.
Email:
schlaferpatty@mhasd.k12.wi.us Wisconsin School Musician 35
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